Mainstone Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Family History Guide
Mainstone is an Ancient Parish in Shropshire and partly in Montgomeryshire.
Other places in the parish include: Edenhope, Knuck, and Reilth in Salop, and the township of Castle-Wright in Montgomery
Status: Ancient Parish
Parish church: St. John the Baptist
Parish registers begin:
- Parish registers: 1604
- Bishop’s Transcripts: 1638
Nonconformists include: Primitive Methodist
Table of Contents
Adjacent Parishes
Parish History
Mainstone
The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870
MAINSTONE, a parish in Clun district, and mainly in Salop, but partly in Montgomery; and a division in Clun hundred, and wholly in Salop. The parish lies on Offa’s dyke, 4 miles W by. S of Bishops-Castle r. station, and 7½ SSE of Montgomery; and comprises the townships of Mainstone, Edenhope, Knuck, and Reilth in Salop, and the township of Castle-Wright in Montgomery. Post town, Bishops-Castle, Shropshire. Acres of the Salop portion, 4,931. Real property, £9,925. Pop., 220. Houses, 41. Acres of the Montgomery portion, 1,332. Real property, with Aston, £2,228. Pop., 145. Houses, 32. The property is divided among a few. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Hereford. Valne, £293. Patron, the Lord Chancellor. The church is a good building, with a belfry. Charities, £5. The division contains the Salop portion of the parish, and all of three other parishes. Acres, 21,315. Pop. in 1851, 1,318. Houses, 238.
Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].
A Topographical Dictionary of England 1848
MAINSTONE (St. John the Baptist), a parish, in the union of Clun, partly in the hundred of Purslow, S. division of Salop, and partly in the hundred and county of Montgomery (North Wales), 4 miles (W. by S.) from Bishop’s-Castle; the English portion containing 276 inhabitants, of whom 91 are in the township. The parish occupies a considerable area of hilly and undulated ground, and is surrounded by the parishes of Clun, Bishop’s-Castle, Lydham, and Churchstoke. A small brook rises in, and flows through, the parish, which is also intersected by Offa’s dyke; and the main road from Bishop’s-Castle to Montgomery passes at the extremity of the township of Castlewright. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s books at £4. 13. 4., and in the patronage of the Crown; net income, £293. The church is 112 feet long, by 22 wide, and contains 140 sittings.
Source: A Topographical Dictionary of England by Samuel Lewis 1848
Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Mainstone. A parish partly in the Mainstone division of the hundred of Clun, partly in the county of Montgomery. The entire parish contains 451 inhabitants. The Shropshire part 49 houses, 296 inhabitants. A rectory discharged, in the diocese of Hereford, the deanery of Clun, and archdeaconry of Salop. 4 miles south-west of Bishopscastle.
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Castle Wright
Gregory Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Castle Wright. A township in the parish of Mainstone, and in the Mainstone division of the hundred of Clun.
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Edenhope
Gregory Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Edenhope, Upper and Lower. A township in the parish of Mainstone, and in the Mainstone division of the hundred of Clun. 3 ½ miles west of Bishopscastle.
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Reilth
Shropshire Gazetteer 1824
Reith or Reilth. A township in the parish of Mainstone, and in the Mainstone division of the hundred of Clun. 3 miles south west of Bishopscastle.
Source: The Shropshire Gazetteer, with an Appendix, including a Survey of the County and Valuable Miscellaneous Information, with Plates. Printed and Published by T. Gregory, Wem, 1824
Parish Records
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Mainstone Shropshire Parish Documents 1902
Documents in the custody of the Parish Meeting. – Kept at the Church, viz:-
Minute Book.
Documents, etc., in the custody of the Rector. – Kept in the parish chest in the Vestry, viz:-
“A true Register of Burialls in Wollen August the first “ Anno Dmi 1678-1690.” N.B. – There are many entries of sums raised on Briefs for various purposes entered at the end of this Register.
General Register (very badly mutilated), 1604 to (?) 1640. This Register contains a list of Churchwardens, Sidesmen, and Overseers.
Book containing Accounts of the Wardens, Overseers of the Poor, and Supervisors of the Wages, 1648-1712.
Book, 1713-1880, containing Churchwarden’s Accounts, collections for Churches, copies of Wills, and distribution of Charities. N. B. – This book is very interesting. It contains a record of very many “Collections of Briefs.”
In 1710 there is the following: – “Collected for ye Reformed “Episcopal Churches in Great Poland and Polish Russia, ‘01” (as this amount is in the £ column it is presumably £1.)
Also – “For Oyster Dredgers of Medway in Corn Kent, April 5th, 1742.”
The following is an interesting account for the year, 1801:-
The Accounts of John Homes, one of the Churchwardens for the Parish of Mainstone, for the year 1801.
Disbursed.
| £ | s. | d. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pd the late Warden | 1 | 1 | 5 ½ |
| For Bread | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| For wine | 0 | 17 | 2 ½ |
| PD the Mason | 0 | 1 | 2 ½ |
| A Proclamation | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Parchment | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| A Prayer for the King | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| PD Apparitor | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Mending a Box | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| A Prayer for the King | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| For writing the Register | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Pd the singing Master | 0 | 16 | 8 |
| The Clarke | 0 | 8 | 4 |
| The Dogman | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Expences 3 Visitations | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| for writing my street | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Repairing the Bier Cloth | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Pd the Apparitor | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| Briefs | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Disbursed | 5 | 2 | 10 ½ |
| Recd. By Street | 3 | 18 | 11 ½ |
| due to me | 1 | 3 | 11 |
Account of Overseers of the Poor, 1769-1820, which contains the following interesting and pathetic entry, viz:-
“November 21/1773.
Agreed in publick Vestry held on this day in the Parish Church of Mainstone that John Jones a poor boy maintained by the parish is to be settled as here followeth, viz: – that every householder shall keep this boy for half a year according to Lotts – first half year to be allowed fifteen shillings second half year twelve shillings and six pence and for every half year after two shillings and six pence less till he shall be able to get his living; only ye Parish to keep him in whole clothing and reasonably to be alowd if ye boy shall be sick.”
N.B. – This is signed by various persons, and a list of those persons who were to have the boy for the succeeding 12 half years is given.
Churchwarden’s Account Book, 1685-1712, containing many very interesting entries.
Highway Account Rate Book, 1855 – 1865.
Book, dated 1802-1821. Opening statement “An Assessment of one shilling in the pound made upon the inhabitants and occupiers of land in the Parish of Mainstone for the relief of the Poor of the said Parish for the year 1802, being the third Assessment.” Note:- This Book contains nothing but Assessments.
Rate Books, 1836-1848.
Conveyance, dated 10th and 24th June, 1673, of 3 acres of land more or less situate in the township of Mainstone, in a place called Cwm-y-Llan, for the use of the Poor in the Parish of Mainstone.
Receipt, dated 27th June, 1673, for £18 from John Bright the younger, for the purchase of a piece of meadow conveyed by an Indenture bearing date the 24th June, 1673.
Lease, dated 13th March, 1720, of the above, conveying it to the Rev. John Gifford, Rector, his Executors, &c. from the date thereof until the full term of 500 years thence, yielding and paying for the use of the poor yearly the sum of £1 10s. 0d., without any deduction or abatement.
Lease dated 28th April, 1727, between John Walcot of Walcot, and John Heycock Kevencallonog.
Conveyance, dated 1st May, 1741, from William Heycock, son and heir of John Heycock, of the unexpired part of Lease of 99 years to the Overseers of the Poor.
Lease, dated 16th January, 1747, between John Walcot and Francis Jones.
Conveyance, dated 4th May, 1767, between Francis Jones and Overseers of the Poor, conveying remainder of the Lease.
Release and Conveyance, dated respectively the 19th and 20th September 1734, and 20th April, 1735, of a parcel of land called Little Meadow, in the township of Mainstone, for the use of the Poor.
Conveyance, dated 2nd April, 1740, from the Revd. John Gifford to his successors, of a Cottage and garden situate near the Church.
Bond, dated 31st March, 1769, from Richard Beamond to the Revd. Samuel Dr. Edwards, Rector of Mainstone, for the sum of £19, and interest after the rate of £4 per cent. per annum.
A variety of Affiliation and Settlement Warrants.
Terrier, dated the 17th May, 1607, of the Glebe Lands belonging to the Parish Church of Mainstone, “Testifying that there is not any Glebe Land.
Tithe Map of the township of Castlewright, dated 24th June, 1841.
Tithe Map of the township of Edenhope, dated 31st Decr., 1840.
Tithe Map of the township of Reilth, dated 19th Decr., 1848.
Tithe Map of the township of Mainstone and Knuckshadwell, dated 19th Decr., 1848.
Source: Shropshire Parish Documents published 1902. A report of the Inspection of Parish Documents made to Salop County Council under section 17 of the Local Government Act 1894.
Note: The location of the documents listed in this transcription are as cited in the book published in 1902 and should be used as a guide only. It should not be assumed that the documents are still kept at the stated location. Interested parties should perhaps contact Shropshire records office to ascertain the documents current whereabouts.
Poll Books
Mainstone, Poll Book 1865
Below are the names of those that voted in the election of July 1865 between Col. The Hon. P. E. Herbert, Sir Baldwin Leighton, Bart., and R. Jasper More, Esq.
Poll Book of the Election, July 1865 for the Southern Division of Shropshire.
Bishop’s Castle Polling District
Mainstone, Parish of
271 Beddowes John
272 Davies Barzellai
273 Evans George
274 Harrison the Rev. John, dead
275 Herschell Rev. John Francis
276 Jones Edward
277 Jones Edward, see 2741
278 Jones Benjamin
279 Owen Edward, see 1814
280 Owen James
281 Sankey Richard
282 Sankey John, see 2036
283 Thomas John
284 Thomas Richard
285 Venables Thomas
286 Venables Thomas, jun.
287 Webster David
Directories
Mainstone Cassey Shropshire Directory 1875
Mainstone is a parish partly in Salop and partly in Montgomeryshire, comprising the townships of Castlewright, Edenhope, Knuck, and Reilth 4 ½ miles from Bishop’s Castle railway station, and 11 from Craven Arms station, in the southern division of the county, hundreds of Clun and Purslow, Clun union, and diocese of Hereford. From Bishop’s Moat (an ancient earthwork) a commanding view of the country for many miles round is obtained. Offa’s Dyke intersects the parish, and separates England from Wales. The church of St. John the Baptist is a neat old stone building, situated in a narrow valley at the foot of Clun Forest. The living is a rectory, yearly value £343, in the gift of the Lord Chancellor. A school at Churchtown for girls and boys is supported partly by subscription. The charities are of £6 yearly. The Earl of Powis is lord of the manor; and the representatives of the late B. Botfield, Esq., H. Lister, Esq., the Rev. J. Harrison, and the Rev. J. Lloyd are chief landowners. The charities are of the yearly value of £3 17s. 0d. The soil is chiefly loam; subsoil is stone and gravel. The population in 1861 was 365, with an area of 3,343.a Or. 4p. ; gross estimated rental, £2,171; rateable value, £1,911.
Edenhope is a township, adjoining Mainstone.
Knuck is a township, adjoining Mainstone.
Reilth is a township, distance half a mile from Mainstone.
Castlewright is a township, in the parish of Mainstone, but in the county of Montgomery, with l, 331 acres, and a population in 1861 of 145.
Letters are received through Bishop’s Castle.
Mainstone.
Beddoes John, farmer
Chester Joseph, farmer, Cwm Frydd
Huffer Thomas, farmer
Jones Edward, farmer
Morris George, blacksmith
Morris George, wheelwright
Powell Thomas, shoe maker
Edenhope.
Davies Barzelah, farmer, Pant Glas
Jones Mary, farmer
Jones Benjamin, farmer
Thomas William, farmer, Lower Dolfawr
Reilth.
Evans Richard, farmer
Llewellin Edward, farmer, Cwm Colbatch
Lloyd George, landowner & farmer
Owen Thomas, farmer, Hetfield
Sankey Richard, landowner & farmer
Venables Thomas, farmer, Hill end
Source: Edward Cassey & Co.’s History, Gazetteer, & Directory of Shropshire. Printed Shrewsbury 1875.
Administration
- County: Shropshire
- Civil Registration District: Clun
- Probate Court: Court of the Bishop of Hereford (Episcopal Consistory)
- Diocese: Hereford
- Rural Deanery: Clun
- Poor Law Union: Clun
- Hundred: Clun
- Province: Canterbury